Maine Man Arrested For Stealing NH Sewer Grates: Cops

MANCHESTER, NH — A Maine man was arrested last week for allegedly stealing sewer grates in the Queen City, according to police. Spiros Paras, 50, of York, ME, was arrested on Aug. 4, 2017, and charged with theft by unauthorized taking. He was released on $1,000 cash bail and is due in court on Sept. 8, according to Lt. Brian O’Keefe of the Manchester Police Department.

Editor’s Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Manchester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

At just before 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, a sergeant saw a pickup truck parked illegally in an alley south of Laurel Street at Maple and noticed men near the vehicle. The sergeant told the men to move the vehicle, the men agreed to, and the sergeant left the scene. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Bedford NH Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

About 10 minutes later, dispatch took a complaint about a suspicious vehicle – a pickup truck matching the description of the vehicle that was illegally parked – in the area of Laurel and Maple streets, reportedly taking several sewer grates from the street, according to a report.

“The sewer grates had been placed on the side of the road due to recent construction on Maple Street,” according to O’Keefe.

The sergeant began searching the area, looking for the truck, and finally found it, about 90 minutes later, on Elm Street. The pickup was parked legally but no one was inside, according to the report.

“(The sergeant) shined a flashlight in the back of the bed and noticed several sewer grates,” O’Keefe stated.

Paras then approached the sergeant as he was checking the inside of the pickup and after some back and forth, determined that Paras “did not have permission from the city of Manchester to possess the five city-owned sewer grates, so he was placed into custody without incident.”

Paras, according to reports online, has been involved in a multi-year dispute with officials in York concerning a piece of property owned by his family that included plans for a pizzeria.